Switch-stand.



W. M. HENDERSON.

SWITCH STAND.

APPLICATION nun APR. 29, 1911.

' 1,031 ,445. Patented July 2, 1912.

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WITNESSES W. M. HENDERSON.

SWITCH STAND.

12211101111011 nun APR. 29, 1911.

1,031,445. Patented July 2, 1912.

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INVENTOR Tlfillzlam JIIHzncZerson IMAM I. Q [44,

Unrrnn STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM M. HENDERSON, F STEELTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

SWITCH-STAND.

State of Pennsylvania, have invented certam new and useful Improvements in Switch-Stands, of which the following is a specification.

-The object of my invention is to provide a railroad switch-stand of novel, simple and eflicient construction provided with devices adapted to be operated to open and close a switch, and, at the same time, to set a signal in proper position to indicate the position of the switch; and provided also with means for holding the switch and signal in a set position, including a frangible part adapted to break under the forceful movement of the switch and thereby break the connection be tween the switch and said holding means without breaking the connectionbetween the switch and the signal so that the signal will indicate the position of the switch at all times.

lVith this object in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combinations of parts hereinafter fully described and particularly claimed.

In'the drawings :-Figure 1 is a plan view of a switch-stand, showing one form of embodiment of my invention, having the upper portion of the frame or easing removed therefrom and showing the casing bolts and the signal-operating shaft in section. Fig. 2 is a vertical section, on line 22 of Fig. 1 including the upper parts not shown'in Fig. 1. F ig. 3 is a vertical section, showing the connections between the switch-operating parts and the signal-operating shaft and adjuncts, on line 3-3 of -Fig. 1 and also on line 3-3 of Fig. 4. Fig.

4 is a horizontal section, on line 44 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is a vertical section similar to Fig. 3 on line 5-5 of Fig. 6, showing a modification of the invention. Fig. 6 is a 1 horizontal section, on line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

"having secured. to its outer end the usual weighted operating lever 9. Secured to the inner end of the shaft 8 is a crank-arm 1O provided with a projecting pin 11 on which a block 12 is looselymounted. The block 12 is arranged to'work Within a groove 13 Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1911.

Serial No. 624,125.-

formed in a partially rotatable member 14 arranged within the frame or casing 7. The partially rotatable member let comprises an outer section 15 and an inner section 16. The groove 13 is formed in the outer section 15, and the outer section 15 is provided with a downwardly extending projection 17 which is mounted to turn on a vertical axis within a bearing 18 on the frame 7. The inner section 16 extends vertically through the member 14 and through the extension 17 thereon, and the outer face'of the section 16 is made octagonal in cross section and is driven into the outer section 15 in a manner to secure the sections 15 and 16 together and to cause them to move as a unit.

The crank-arm 10 and groove 13 are so related to each other that when the weighted thus be seen as the lever is moved from side to side of the shaft 8, the member 1 1 will be moved a quarter turn from the position shown and back again.

Extending vertically through the inner section 16 of the member 14 is the targetor signal-carrying shaft 19 which is freely rotatable within the member 14. The upper end of the shaft 19 has a sleeve 20 secured thereto which is mounted to turn in a suitable bearing 21 on the upper portion of the frame 21. The shaft 19 and its sleeve 20 extend above the top of the frame or casing 7 and the upper end of the sleeve 20 carries a, suitable signal 22. The lower end of the shaft 19 extends below the bottom of the inner section 16 of the member 14, and the lower end of the shaft 19 is made substantially square for the reception of the hub 23 of a switch-operating member or arm 24, the hub being provided with a substantially square opening fitted to the lower end of the shaft 19, and also with a transverse pin 25 extending through the hub 23 and shaft 19 as a means of securing the arm 24; to the shaft 19. The arm 24. is provided with an upwardly extending pin 35 which is connected to one end of a rod 26, the other end of which is adapted to be connected to a railroad switch in the usual well known Patented July 2, 1912.

manner, whereby, when the arm 24 is moved back and forth about the axis of the shaft 19, the switch may be opened and closed.

The arm 24 is provided with a socket 27 into which extends a frangible tooth 28 proj ecting from a collar 29 which surrounds the lower end of the inner section 16 of the member 14. The lower end of the inner section 16 extends below the bottom of the extension 17 of the member 14 to receive the collar 29 and the collar is made octagonal in shape to fit the section and cause the collar 29 to turn with the member 14. The sides of the tooth 28 engage the side walls of the socket 27 in a manner to cause the arm 24 and perforce the shaft 19 to move back and forth with the member 14 as a unit about the axis of the shaft 19 when the weighted lever is swung from side to side of the shaft 8, thus moving the switch-operating member or arm 24 back and forth to open and close the switch connected to the rod 26.

When the arm 9 is operated to set the switch in either the open or closed position,

the shaft 19 is turned to correspondingly set the signal 22 to indicate that the switch is either open or closed as the case may be. When the weighted lever 9 is in a horizontal position on either side of the shaft 8, the member 14 is held in its set position by the arm 10 being in the horizontal or dead center position with relation to the member 14, so that while the switch operated by the rod 26 may be opened and. closed by moving the lever 9, the switch itself may not be moved from its set position against the arm 10. Should the switch connected to the rod 26 be forced from its set position by the action of a car Wheel flange in passing the same or by any other means, the forceful movement of the switch and therewith the arm 24 will break the tooth 28 and thereby disconnect the switch from the member 14 which held the switch in its set position. The breaking of the tooth 28, however, does not break the connection between the switch and the signal-operating shaft 19 so that the shaft 19 and signal 22 will always operate with the switch to indicate the position thereof.

I provide the collar 29 with an additional tooth 30, similar to the tooth 28, so that by removing the pin 25 and lowering the arm 24 and collar 29 from the parts 16 and 19, respectively, the collar 29 may be adjusted to bring the tooth 30 into the socket 27 whereupon the parts may be again secured in place by the pin 25.

In the modification shown in Figs. 5 and 6, an octagonal collar 31 is employed in place of the collar 29. The collar 31 is provided with a frangible arm 32 having a slot 33 therein. The shaft 19 is provided with an arm 34 in place of the arm 24; and the arm 34 is provided with an upwardly extending pin 36 in place ofthe pin 35. The

pin 36 extends upwardly through the slot 33 and receives the end of the connecting rod 26 above the arm 32, the rod 26 resting upon the arm 32. It will thus be seen that if the pin 36 and switch-operating arm 34 be forced against the crank-arm 10, the arm 32 will be broken thus freeing the switch from the member 14 without breaking the connection between the switch and the sig nal-operating shaft 19. The collar 31 is provided with an additional arm 37, similar to the arm 32, to take the place of the arm 32 after it has been broken.

I claim:

1. In a switch stand and in combination, a frame, a partially rotatable operating member mounted in said frame, an arm extending from said member, a switch and signal operating shaft rotatably mounted in said member, an arm extending from said shaft, and a frangible connection between said arms. I

2. In a switch stand and in combination, a frame, a partially rotatable operating member mounted in said frame, an arm extending from said member, a switch and signal operating shaft rotatably mounted in said member, said member and said shaft being mounted to turn about the same axis, an arm extending from said shaft, and a frangible connection between said arms.

3. In a switch-stand and in combination, a frame, a partially rotatable member mounted to turn in a bearing in said frame and projecting below the same, means for holding said member in a set position, a signal-operating shaft rotatably mounted in said member and projecting below the same, said member and said shaft being mounted to turn about the same axis, a switch operating part connected to said shaft, and a frangible connection between said member and said part, whereby said part may be operated by said member and, when said member is held in a set position, the forceful movement of the switch-operating part will breakthe connection between it and the partially rotatable member without breaking the connection between the switch-operating part and the signal-operating shaft.

4. In a switch-stand and in combination, a frame, a partially rotatable member mounted to turn in a bearing in said frame and projecting below the same, means for holding said member in a set position, a signal-operating shaft rotatably mounted in said member and projecting below the same, said member andsaid shaft being mounted to turn about the same axis, a switch-operating part secured to the lower end of said shaft, a collar surrounding said member below said bearing, said collar being prevented from turning relatively to said member, and a frangible connection between said collar and said part, whereby said part may said member and said sha be operated by said member, and when said member is held in a set position, the forceful' movement of the switch-operating part will break the connection between it and the collar without breaking the connection between the switch operating part and the signal-operating shaft.

5. In a switch-stand and in combination, a frame, a partially rotatable member mounted to turn in a bearing in said frame and projecting below the same, means for holding said member in a set position, a signal-operating shaft rotatably mounted in said member and projecting below the same, t being mounted to turn about the same axis, a switch-operating part secured to the lower end of said shaft and having a socket formed therein,

a collar, surrounding said member below said bearing, said collar being prevented from turning relatively to said member, and a frangible tooth projecting from said collar and into said socket, whereby said part may be operated by said member and, when said member is held in a set position, the forceful movement of said part will break said tooth and thus break the connection between the switch-operating part and said member without breaking the connection between the switch-operating part and the signal-operating shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM M. HENDERSON.

Witnesses:

A. V. GROUPE, S. I. HARPER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C." 

